


Her Hero

by Flamingfairyx777



Category: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014)
Genre: F/M, Like original, and yet not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 02:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20858375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamingfairyx777/pseuds/Flamingfairyx777
Summary: He may have been her heroic Spirit, but that did not make him her hero.





	Her Hero

**Author's Note:**

> The story is mostly the same, though I've taken several creative liberties.  
I do not own Fate!!!

He may have been her heroic Spirit, but that did not make him her hero.

There he was, acting all cocky in the wreckage of her living area. She knew they were going to have some problems. He was nothing like she had expected him to be.

Her father, when he was alive, had painted colorful stories of the past heroes' the Tohsaka family had summoned for the Grail Wars of long ago. He made them sound so noble and otherworldly. The man sitting in her living room looked like he had crawled out of a hole somewhere because no one else wanted him.

The way he treated her was even worse. Speaking down to her and trying to tell her what to do. Nobody told Rin Tohsaka what to do. She put him in his place, barely, and came to terms that she would have to settle with what the world had given her.

But even still, she knew that despite what he or the grail claimed, he was no hero.  
…

He was pretty powerful; she gave him that much. The way he handled Lancer on the school ground was quite the spectacle, but being powerful only tipped him slightly in her favor.

The scale tipped over again when he shared his distaste for Shirou Emiya.

Rin was a smart girl. She knew that Shirou was a total scrub and would probably die within a day, but he was still a nice person. She saw how well he treated her former sister, Sakura, and that pleased her, but she could not understand why Archer hated him so much. Yes, his ideals of being a “hero of justice” were kind of lame, but it didn’t warrant such animosity from her Servant.

This was yet more proof to Rin that Archer, despite being powerful, was no hero.  
…

Rin had been preparing for the Grail War since she was a child as she was the only person left to carry on the Tohsaka legacy. She spent weeks preparing herself physically and mentally for the day she would summon up her own spirit and fight to claim the Holy Grail to bring honor to her family name.

But at the same time, she was a high schooler who had grades to worry about.

On most nights following the beginning of the war, Rin would be restless. Constantly worrying about being attacked or providing enough mana for Archer, that she started to fall behind on her schoolwork.

One night as she tried and failed to complete a stack of her late assignments, her sleep deprived brain finally got the better of her and she collapsed.

The next morning, she awoke, still sitting at her desk. Her neck hurt and her brain was fuzzy, but the first thing she noticed was that her stack of papers were gone. She spent ten minutes searching around the desk in vain until she finally gave up and decided to eat something before she had to head out.

She nearly keeled over at the sight of Archer at the kitchen table, casually flipping through her homework and answering the questions.

When she demanded answers, he stated that as a Servant he was gifted with all the knowledge of the common world, and therefore took it upon himself to finish her work for her. When she said it was cheating, he shrugged her off, saying it was just the one time and that she should really take better care of herself, in his condescending tone of voice. Rin grumbled to herself, becoming especially angry when he said her physics homework was child’s play.

She didn’t thank him, especially after she got A’s on all the assignments.

Despite his intelligence, he was still no hero.  
…

She was furious when she found out that he attacked Shirou at Ryuudou Temple. Her anger was only heightened by her confusing dreams about Archer’s past life. Her sleep schedule was already messed up and visions of a war-torn servant did not help her.

She used one of her precious command seals to make sure it didn't happen again, though she can see the silent fury pooling in Archer's eyes. She doesn’t care. He is her servant and he must do as she says.

She has more dreams that night. She sees a man betrayed by his ideals. She refuses to feel sorry for him.

Because despite his turmoil, he was still no hero.  
…

She wondered what made him tick.

Every time she thought she understood him, he did something out of the blue that turned her whole world around. Rin tried to ask him questions, but he never answered her back. It made her angry. He was her servant after all.

This thought process is what guideded her into dragging him through town one weekend.

He dressed in a black button up shirt and pants. She didn't tell him that she thinks it looks good on him. He could tell from the ridiculous blush on her face.

They spent the whole day shopping, sightseeing, and just spending time together.

There was no Holy Grail, no servants, and no war. Just Rin Tohsaka and her nameless friend.

Because she realized that is what he has become to her, despite all his faults.

She didn't understand him better like she wanted to, but she does get to know him, and she likes what she sees.

She blushed angrily when he laughed at a joke he made at her expense. Rin growled lowly to herself.

Even if he was her friend, he was still no hero.  
…

There were days where Rin wished she had been given a different servant. Those days had become increasingly more frequent.

Rin and Shirou had formed a temporary alliance, much to both Saber and Archers chagrin, in an attempt to bring Caster’s master out of hiding. Archer had the audacity to state that it would be more lucrative to team up with Caster rather than Shirou. She ignored him, even if his comment made the most sense.

She chose to give him some space, instead taking Shirou and Saber to find Caster. The plan worked too well and they were suddenly overwhelmed. They barely made it out alive and she chose to spend the rest of the night with Shirou. She didn't bother telling Archer. It would only make him mad.

Because despite his faculties, he is still no hero.  
…

Caster broke Shirou’s command seals.

Archer rescued both of them with barely a second to spare. When they finally rested, she saw for the first-time genuine worry in his silver eyes. He quickly hid it, but Rin had seen it. She wondered if he actually cared about her safety. She said nothing. 

She decided that it was too dangerous to keep Shirou around without his servant and abandoned him. She didn't say anything when she noticed how pleased Archer was with her decision. It made her bitter.

Because despite his worry, he was still not a hero.  
…

She spent most of that evening sitting in her home, angry. Everything had been going so well at the start, now everything was going downhill.

Archer watched her silently as she ranted. She yelled and told him he was annoying, that he was useless, that he didn’t respect her. He just stood there and listened. He knew she didn’t know any better.

Eventually her anger subsided and was replaced with weariness. It had been a taxing day and she just wanted a peaceful night’s sleep.

Her mind was foggy with despair and exasperation. It didn’t register as Archer gently slipped his arm under her legs and lifted her easily off the floor. She didn’t say anything as he tenderly carried her to her room.

He laid her on the bed, removed her shoes, and pulled a blanket around her. She didn’t say anything as he left the room and her mind fell into darkness.

Because despite his kindness, he is still no hero.

Though she started to wonder if he might be one day.  
…

Her hopes are destroyed when Archer chooses Caster over her. There is no light in his eyes. There is no cocky smile. The man before her is no longer her friend. Her heart breaks.

And he was no hero.  
…

Her heart completely ruptured when she saw him next. He had just finished a fight with Lancer. He looked terrible, but she knew better than anyone that he was still dangerous. He pulled out his bow and mercilessly shoot Caster through the chest. He killed Kuzuki in a similar fashion.

His eyes were not silver like normal. They were grey and devoid of feeling. She didn't realize how much she missed them until then.

Even with both Caster and Kuzuki dead, he refused to join their side again. He wanted to kill Shirou. In saying that he killed Rin a little inside too. This was not her Servant. This was not her Archer.

This was someone new. Someone terrible.

And he was definitely no hero.  
…

She wanted to cry when Archer dragged her back to Einzbern Castle. Her insides hurt and she wished for a second that she wasn’t so prideful.

He brought her to the basement and tied her to a chair. She begged him not to do it. Told him that there was still a chance for him to do the right thing.

Still a chance for him to be a hero.

She saw something flash in his eyes. It almost looked like regret. It was gone within a second and he lifted his chin up to see her face. He could see her trying desperately not to cry in front of him. She wondered if he could read the emotions in her eyes as well as she could read his. Archer sighed deeply, before standing and leaving the room, muttering softly four words that destroy Rin’s world.

“I am no hero.”  
…

When she was freed, she ran back up to the main foyer. The room was a mess, but all she could see was the dark-skinned man towering over Shirou.

She slowed her pace, not entirely sure what happened during her absence. His gaze lifts to meet hers. He says nothing. He just stares. By the look on Shirou’s face she knows it is over. Archer lost.

He accepted it.

She approached him carefully, gauging whether her assumption was right or not. He was dirty, and pretty bloody, but he didn’t appear phased by it. Rin stood in front of him. She couldn’t hold back her anger as she yelled at him. She said she would never forgive him. That he was a traitor and he didn’t deserve to be spared. He stood there silently as she released her frustration upon him. When she was done, tears filled her eyes as she finally saw his face.

He was tired, and weak, but most of all he looked happy. Truly happy for the very first time. He didn't care that she was mad at him. He was just glad she was there.

She was glad he was there too, but she doesn't say it.

Just as he’s about to speak, they hear Saber yell out something. Before anyone can react, three swords puncture Archer's back. Rin cried out in fear. She didn't even glance in Gilgamesh’s direction as he entered the room.

Worry for her servant coursed through her veins. She tried to help hold him up. Blood poured out of his wound and onto her hands. She didn't register that the others were still talking, nor the blades that Gilgamesh summoned and fired in her direction.

But Archer did.

He pushed her out of the way. The world passed in slow motion as he mutters something to Rin. She doesn’t hear it. She instead hears the sounds of blades entering flesh and the poof of her Archer disappearing.

She stared in stunned silence. She didn’t hear what he said. All she knew was that he saved her by sacrificing himself.

He had become a hero.

Her hero.

But now he was gone.

“ARCHER!!!!!”  
…

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Rin didn’t know how it was possible, and she didn’t care. She followed the trail up the cliff side until she stood before her servant. 

Her annoying, terrible, perfect servant.

She demanded he make a pact with her again. He smiled, and told her that’s not how it works, but she refused to listen. That’s what he hated most about her, but it’s also what he loved most.  
Archer continued to fade as she cried out to him. He laughed tenderly, accepting that this was how it had to be. He turned around, offering her a boyish smile.

There was very little time left. Rin cried harder, begged him not to leave her again. When their time was up, and her tears were spent, she asked him to tell her what he said back at the castle.

Archer faded slowly out of existence. He whispered once more his final words.

“I’m glad I could be your hero.”

And so was she.


End file.
